Mine was Wingmaster 870 shotgun w/ a slug barrel. The county that I hunted in NY was shotgun only. Hunted there for 2 seasons then switched to a rifle county and bought a Marlin 336 in 30-30.

Same as you Rem 870 Wingmaster smooth bore,picked it up at a pawn shop

Remington 742 in 30-06 for Kentucky and a Remington 1100 12 GA with an I/C Rifle sighted barrel for Ohio.

Early vintage Weatherby MkV Fibermark in 7mm Wby., the original real McMillan stock version. Topped it with a Leupold Vari-X III 2.5-8x36 in Conetrol rings and bases.

Savage 840, bolt action .30-30, topped with a very cheap POS 2-7X on a side mount.

Tom

Winchester 94 30/30 with a side mounted steel tube Weaver 1.5-4.5 scope.

Savage 99 EG with a Lyman 57. 250-3000.

First deer gun was a Stevens 20 gauge bolt action. Then came a Browning BPS 12 gauge. First deer RIFLE was a Browning Acera in -06.

savage 110 .270

Ruger M77 in 250 Sav. Weaver 4x scope.

First deer rifle - 700 Classic in chambered in 270.

That was a couple of years after hunting shotgun areas with an 870 w/ ribbed, modified barrel and a couple of beads to line up.

M94 Winchester in .30-30, bought it in the summer of 1970, when I was 13. It was the only centerfire rifle I used for deer until the mid-80s, though I had owned others. I just never used them.

Now I will use other rifles, but I always include the M94 in the rotation. I think it's more coincidence than anything, but that rifle seems to score every year. This year was no exception, killing a big-bodied buck on the last day of Virginia's general firearms season.

Savage 99C in .308, topped it with an old style Redfield 2-7 x 32 scope, obtained from a friend.

Still love & used it, almost exclusively !

The Christmas I turned 12, I got a Remington WingMaster 870 w/ 28� mod. Barrel. I deer hunted with that shotgun until I was 18, then I bought a Sears/Glenfield/Marlin .30-30. I deer hunted with that for the next 20 years. In the last I've hunted with a lot of different rifles.

killed my first deer with a stevens 410 bolt action while squirrel hunting after my older brother slipped me a slug and
said i'm killin me a deer if i see one. thought dad was going to kill me after that one.it wasn't exactly deer season yet. first legal one was with a 7.65 argentine that i borrowed from my uncle. he still has that gun ,i've been tryin to buy it from him for years.first gun i bought myself to deer hunt with was a mossberg 800 in 308win.

Borrowed a couple of family 30-30s the few times I hunted in high school. Several years ago when I got back into hunting I bought a Rem 710 in 30-06. It wasn't a great rifle to say the least, and neither was the scope that came with it. However, it did drop 4 of the 5 deer I ever pointed it at, and I figure the 5th was my fault. Thankfully, I have since learned a lot about nicer rifles and optics, and that one is long gone.

My first was given to me by my mother at the age of 15--a Savage 111 in 7mm Rem Mag...with a hard plastic butt pad...and so developed the 'flinch'.

Yeah that'll do it. Did ya over come the flinch?

browning blr .243. took my first 3 deer with it including a nice 8pt. will probably pull it out and put a new scope on it and put it to some use next season

savage 99 EG in 300sav. Didn't know I needed anything else until I got older and "smarter".

MM

Winchester 94 in 30-30 purchased in 1978. Still have it.
Shoots pretty dang straight yet too.

ruger M77MKII in .243, still my go to rifle for deer

Marlin 336 in 35 rem. first one that I bought. 700 bdl in 270

Win. 94 in 32 Spl.

Dale

Winchester 70 Westerner .243 with a Weaver 4x. The .243 now wears a Nikon 2-7x and the Weaver is on a .303 Savage.

My first was a Interarms mark x made by EMDEKO in 30/06. These mausers wore p.o.ackley marked bbls and mine had a EMDEKO 3x9 scope. I've heard the plain walnut monte carlo stocks on these were made by bishop. I had hopes of a 7mm rem mag after reading numerous outdoor life stories of elk and mule deer hunts, and looking at remington ballistics charts. The summer of my 11th yr my dad called home, and told my mom to bring me to the gun store.

Imagine my excitment when we walked up to the counter and there lay a mint used 700 adl in 7mag. Beside it laid the reason he called ... a new h&r 20ga single bbl for me. The mint adl with a price tag of $ 170.00 was his. The '06 was a hand me down from him to me. I never liked the '06 from that day on. I traded it for a 68 chevelle when i was 17 yrs old. My dad passed when i was 13, and i carried the 7mag for 35 ys after that.

NEF Handi-Rifle .243

High Standard Flite-King 12 ga. smoothbore pump with a bead front sight. Still have it but it hasn't been hunting since about 1985 or '86. In the thick woods where there's no long shots it's plenty accurate enough for deer with some 2.75" Remington Slugger Foster type slugs. Someday when I hunt the thick stuff in a shotgun zone I'm gonna take it out again just for old times sake. I'm spoiled by big bore handguns, rifles and rifled barrel slug guns. Would that make my High Standard a "primitive" weapon? (grin).

Started with shotguns and slugs, but first rifle was Remington .308 Gamemaster 760 pump. Never was too crazy about it.

Started with shotguns and slugs too H&R topper model 58 12 gauge
My first rifle was a winchester 70 xtr westerner in .264 wm

Rem 788 carbine in .308 bought with lawn mowing, paper route money age 12. Killed 3 deer and an elk. But traded it for .300 win mag savage. Bad trade!

Remington 742 in 30 06, which I won on a 50 cent raffle ticket at the grand ole age of maybe 13 or14

Ditto, almost.
60's vintage and my dad killed the first deer with it.

Win 94 30-30my dad bought from a buddy at work!

M94 Winchester in .30-30

A six digit Remington 700, .243 bought with money earned from mowing lawns. I remember the price well .... $101.89

Remington 742 carbine. Steel butt plate model. Redfield 1 3/4 for awhile then moved uo to a redfield widefield 3x9. Shot 180 gr. RN core lokt minute of deer or better. Not much blue left on it today.

Remington 870 Wingmaster with a Cantilever barrel on it. Dad bought it in 1970.

A Remington 742 30/06 with a Redfield 3x9 widefield, a stomper for a 13 year old snot nose kid.

Mine was a H and R 20 ga. Next my uncle loaned me a pre 64 Winny fwt 243. Then I bought a Savage 270 with my own money and killed my first deer with a gun with it. My very first was with a bow, 2nd ml, 3rd the 270. All in one year.

Savage 220 16 Gauge Single Shot Shotgun plain barrel with bead.

First center fire rifle was a synthetic M700 ADL in .243 Win with Weaver V9.

Dad gave me his old 94 Winchester, 30 WCF. It was January 1968. Then he left us to live elsewhere. (There's a country song in that!). Still have it. One of the grand kids will get it!

Yeah. I kept the rifle for 10 years. A 1" Pachmyer Decelerator pad was a huge improvement. Eventually picked up an NEF in .223 to practice with. That was the saving grace.

A Winchester model 94 .30-30 that Dad bought for me the day I was born in 1960.

Had to wait a couple years before I got to use it though. I still have it and still hunt it every once in a while.

Mossberg 500 12ga with a rifled barrel in Southern tier until they opened our county to rifle. Savage 110 in .30-06 in the Northern zone.

Winchester Model 94 AE Trapper in .30-30.

This....a birthday gift from my dad

M94. 30-30.

1970's Remington 700 ADL .30-06. It is my Dad's and I still hunt with it as he does not hunt with a rifle. My favorite rifle, killed my first Whitetail, Pronghorn and Mule Deer with it. I hope to use it to kill my first Elk when I draw.

First one of "my own" a Remington 700 SPS Stainless 7mm Rem Mag that is now nestled in a CDL take off stock.

Pre'64 Winchester M/88 .308 with Weaver K2.5 post & crosshair reticle in Weaver pivot mount.

My first deer rifles were a Remington 660 in 6mm and a Ruger 44 International, they were gifts from my Father.

My first self-purchased deer rifle was a sporterized Venezuelan FN Mauser in 7x57 for which I paid $37.50. The action is currently in use as the basis for a rebarreled and restocked rifle.

Jeff

30-40 krag and a 303

Model 336 in 30-30.

.03/A3 Springfield that I sporterized myself...crudely.

I killed my first deer with a single shot 410 slug, because I wasn't old enough to handle much recoil, but to answer your question, my first "deer rifle" was a Remington 742 Carbine 30-06. It still occupies a spot in my safe after all these years.

Remington 700 .30-06.

Age 16, I purchased a Number 4 mk 1 303 british, with stock cut down. made by longbranch . Paid $14.95 at Eatons mailorder. A lot different atmosphere than today. With dominion 180 gr roundnose I could shoot 1 1/2 inch groups consistently with the battle sights. Got my first deer with it and several others. Stupidly sold it when I got my pre 64 featherweight in 270, which I still have on based on Jack Oconnors readings. Should have kept it too.

Knight "Wolverine" muzzle-loader. I think I shot my first five or six with that thing before using any other weapon system to hunt deer.

savage 170 30-30 pump. still got it.

Started with a 742 in 6mm Rem, then moved to a 336 in 30-30, and on to a 7400 in 30-06. Converted to bolt guns ever since.

Savage 340 bolt action carbine in 30-30.

First elk and first deer, and each of my two sons killed his first big game animal with the same rifle.

I was 14 and going to Maine. One uncle had a pre 64 94 30-30 and another a pre 64 Winchester 88 in .308. The .308 was to much so I took the 30-30. We still have it and I never took anything with it. Need to do something about it, as it is mine now.

Rem 788 carbine in 308 with a tasco 4x. paid about $200 for it at the coast to coast hardware. Put a burris 2.75 on because the hunting crew old timers said 4x is too much scope for the woods (I agree).
Took a fork horn and doe with it.
The rifle carried like a 10 pound wood fence post and I bought a ruger tang safety in 3006 the following year. The whole crew shot 3006 except for a lone 300 savage 99 and I wanted to get all their 3006 brass for the reloading gear my dad bought.

Don't miss the 788 that much, but regret not saving up and buying what I wanted in the first place... the ruger 77. Still have the ruger and rifle loony-ism has hit and have too many guns to rotate through. Oddly... I've come full circle and like the savage 99 in 300 that was the odd man out when I started hunting.

Unusual love & hate story, but it worked out for you.
I inherited my dad's 742 in 3006 and I can't bring my self to hunt with it because my dad said "don't buy these - they jam". I saw it jam and had a gunsmith work it over as a fathers day gift when my dad still hunted with it, but I'm not sure about it. Not sure what nephew I'll stick with the gun when I thin out the herd.

First deer rifle was a 30-30 Winchester '94 "eastern carbine"(or so I've been told) made in 1930. Regards, Woody

The first one I got to use was a .303 Brit. The first one I could call mine was a Rem 742 in 30-06. It didn't take me long to figure out I wanted something different. About 10 minutes after my 18th birthday guests left, I bought a Ruger M77 MkII in 30-06.

Marlin 336, 30-30

1947 Model 70 Winchester, bought in 1966 for all of $90

Marlin 336 in 30-30, worked my azz off all summer to get it off lay a way in the fall. Shot a nice little 8pt with it first time out!! :):)

I was hooked bad!!!

My dad's model 94 .32 Special... Still have it.. used it three years then took over my Grandfather's model 54 .30-06.. Still have it also...

Now here is a thread that throws me way back into the memory bank. I have had so many rifles since that first one. I actually used two my very first year. I had a 20 gauge shotgun that I used with slugs. I also had a 410 that I used. The 410 belonged to my grandfather and I still have that gun today. I later began using a 30/30 which I used until I was 16. I still own the 20 gauge shotgun, as well. I still remember the first day of buck season, of the very first time I went deer hunting.

First used was a Winchester 94 30-30. First owned, a Winchester M670 30-06

When I bought my Marlin 336 my dad offered me his Rem. 700 in 308. I didn't like bolt guns back then.... Kickin myself in the azz now!

First "deer" rifle was a Browning A-bolt Medallion in .280 Rem, topped with a Redfield Widefield 3-9x. Killed a train load of deer and black bear with that rifle. Also killed a lot of antelope and a few elk with it. Today it generally serves as the loaner rifle and has accounted for at least a dozen deer for other people who have needed it. I actually shot my MT buck with it this year when my go to 300 RUM turned out to be shooting high and I didn't want to re-zero it.

Marlin 444. I wish I still had that rifle.

Rem 141 35 Rem. Still have it. It's been 10-12 yrs since I've used it. I think next year that trend is gonna change.

Savage 99 was my other one. 300 Savage. ....

Scope was a Leupy M7 4x.........

Remington model 700BDL in 30-06 passed down from my grandpa. I have killed a few deer with it, but it sits idle now. For a keep sake.

Marlin 336C 30/30.....Never killed with it though as I got a Ruger Model 77 in 7mm Mag the very next year..........Hb

When I was 12 I begged my parents for a 20ga for Christmas. The day came and went with no shotgun. There was a beautiful Scharade lock blade tho. A few days later, while playing with the knife before dinner I put a 6" long, 1" deep slash across my thigh. I showed my mother, who almost fainted, and we headed for the car with a towel to soak up the blood. My father, who was in the barn, came out when he saw us loading into the Pontiac Grand Safari wagon, and asked what was up. Mom said "Tom cut his leg with the new knife!!". My dad's only words were, "Good thing we didn't get him the gun", then headed back to the barn. I felt like one dumb sob but looking back 30+ years! I guess he was right (grin). Two years later there was a Mossberg 500 under the tree. I guess he knew more than I thought he did. Still got the scar in case I think I know it all to remind me I don't.

Sorry but I got a chuckle out of your story!! Youre by Great Lake Sacandaga huh ? Used to fish that place whenever I could. Camped over @ North Hampton Beach. Beautiful area

No apology needed. Haven't had a person not laugh when told. I even chuckle now when my old time pals bring it up. Little southwest, near Cooperstown and Otsego Lake

Model 94 30-30. Young, dumb and low on funds, got rid of it

Let's see, that would be about 1952. Mom and Dad gave me a brand new Winchester Model-94 .30-30 for Christmas. The next fall, I killed four deer with it. By some dumb twist of fate, I still have the carbine.

First good buck mule deer I killed the next year with a low-numbered Springfield 'O3 in .30-'06 that I'd "sporterized." I killed that buck ammo I'd handloaded (150 Hornady Round Nose, if I recall correctly)

Several years later, I went to a Weatherby Mark V in 7Weatherby and a Mannlicher-Schoenauer Carbine in 7X57.

kd

Friend had a house on Canadarago

Seems like a lot of us started out with lever actions in 30-30. This past season my Marlin 336 in 35 Rem saw all the action. The Rem700 stayed in the safe.

Mine was a hand-me-down from my Mom....Remington 760 Gamemaster Carbine in 30/06. Dad got it sometime in the early '60's and put a Winfield 3x9x36 on it in a Weaver Flip-mount.

I shot my first deer with it in '84 and shot most of the deer since then, including last year, with the same rifle, mount and scope.

Why fix what aint broken

Remington 742 in .308...accurate for 2 shots. I can't remember what happened to that rifle.

Dco

Lot of them old rifles around. We have 2, one was my Grandad's, the other is my Dad's. But they were wise enough to get them in 32 Spl. It's much better than the 30-30

Of course Dad and I have long since acquired the ultimate deer rifle: Savage 99

Dale

Savage 308 mod C, open sights, which belonged to my great grandfather.

It's a small world 1tnhunter. I'm about 12 miles south of Canadarago. Used to ride snowmobiles that way in my younger days.

Ruger M77 MKII, .308 Win, Simmons Whitetail scope. Since upgraded the scope but still shoots right at MOA with 168 grain bonded loads. Will never sell that rifle.

Mine was a Marlin 336 in .30-30. It has been my primary deer gun ever since. Is shares a little time with a Ruger and Winchester but it goes hunting more than them combined. You can't beat a Marlin lever gun in the N.C. mountains.

1955 Winchester model 70 featherweight in 243 Win

Lots of 3030's for sure. I read too many hunting mags as a kid to know a lever 3030 couldn't do the job... I was going to use my dads marlin 336A the first year I was allowed to use a rifle and the firing pin broke so I would not have anything to do with a un-reliable lever..

now I have 4 of them to combat the common bolt action.

1st year the cartridge was made wasn't it?

CVA big bore mtn. rifle, 54 cal. Shooting real black and a patched round ball.


maddog

Ruger 77 in 30/06 with a Leupold 2-7x.

Here is it with my first deer.

Mine was a single shot 20 gauge shotgun of unknown manufacture.

It broke down by sliding the trigger guard back.

remy adl 7 rem mag. Had it, my only BG rifle for almost 20 years, then I went loony.

A sporterized 1903 Springfield A-1 in 30/06. It had a Redfield receiver sight and a sour dough front.

I got teased like hell because it didn't wear a scope. It was 1979 and my first deer hunt on a friend's farm with her family.
I shot the biggest deer opening day that year on a drive. A big 8 pointer that must have weighed around 180 lbs. The teasing stopped.
Her dad was so mad that I got that deer that he wouldn't let me hunt there the next year.

Dan

Rem 740 in 308

Marlin 30-30 but then a Remington 700 BDL 30-06. Still have both of them.

First I used was my dads Rem 788 .243 when I was 9, with an old 4x steel weaver on it, first I called mine was a 1965 manufactured M70 .270 given to me by my uncle after I gave my cousin a .410 when I was about 12. and now the first that is legally mine is a new M70 25-06 I won at the Hunters Appreciation raffle this year with $50 of tickets, my third to win in 5 years. Oddly, the reason I gave my cousin the .410 was because I had won a new 12ga at the same raffle eight years ago, and had no need for it anymore.

Ruger M77 30-06 Tang Safety

Sako Varminter in .243.

Weatherby Vanguard VGX Deluxe in 243. Way too nice a rifle for 14 year old to be toting around all those miles we walked in ND back in the day! My dad acquired the rifle and the Japanese Tasco it came with when my sister's broke ass boyfriend needed to get back home to FL and needed to borrow $150 to get there. Dad said sure I'll help you out but you can leave your rifle with me until you pay up. Luckily we never saw the bum again and I still have the rifle! My oldest son shot his first deer with it as will his brother. It looks quite different now in the axiom stock for LOP adjustibility. Still have that claro WBY stock ready to go for when I want to go full circle.

Growing up in central NY I used a 20 gauge 870 wingmaster, but my first centerfire rifle was my rem 700 in 300saum that I bought up here in AK. I like the rifle hunting a lot more than the shotgun, that's for sure.

Killed my first whitetail with a Winchester Super X Model 1 12 gauge shotgun and slugs while stationed at APG MD in 1976.

My first deer rifle was a Ruger M77 in .270 WIN my wife bought me in early 1978.

I still own both guns, the Ruger killed a doe this season.

FH, youre another EX-NY that moved out of the cesspool huh ? Eventually there'll be no one left!!!!

My first was a brand new Rem 760 .30-06. I worked after school and it took me an entire year to save up the $105 plus 1% sales tax that it cost.

I couldn't get out of there fast enough! If it wasn't for a few family members I would never go back either.

Ithaca 12guage Deerslayer with 26" tube, cause MASS is shotgun only.
First real rifle is a M77 flatbolt in .308. Still have and hunt with both.

M94 in 30-30 made in 1929.

Ruger boat paddle .270. killed plenty of deer with it, but ive mostly moved on to more interesting stuff. i think it would have served me better if it was a .243. at least i wouldnt have been as apprehensive of it and would have put more rounds downrange with it. but at the time i was gripped by local anecdotal evidence which suggested the .270 was minimum for deer-killin power.

I killed my first deer with a 700 classic in 257 Roberts. I had used a couple of other rifles before but never saw a deer. I believe the first gun I took hunting was my Remington 788 in 30-30

Remington 788 in .243 but shot my first deer with a Parker Hale 30-06.

Remington 760 in 308, sold it because I didn't like a pump. Bought a Browning BLR in 308 and had it for many years before giving it to my father who had 3 or 4 BLR's (243, 308 and 358), he eventually sold it. I'm pretty much a bolt action guy except for the Browning BAR's I use in New York. I should have kept both rifles!

Remington model 760 in .30-06. My little brother still has it.

Winchester 94 30-30

Spandau Gewehr 88.
It and four boxes of ammo cost me a whoppin' $65 of my lawn mowing money.

Wild Willy's in Emporia had bunches of the cosmoline clotted clunkers stood muzzle down in wooden barrels. Was 14 at the time, and I just had to have one. Dad had a friend pick and sort to find the best one, and he found one with the S stamp.

Kansas had drawing only for deer permits back then and I got mine on the first go 'round. I had a Marlin 336 30-30 by the time I got my second permit.

Tikka T3 Lite in .243.

7MMrm

Remington 700BDL 30'06

You'll probably use that rifle for many years!

Savage 300 RS

Model 94 30-30

Firat one i used wasnt a rifle it was an Ithaca 37 deer slayer

First rifle i used was a win. Mdl. 64 in 32 special

First rifle of my own, and ai still have it. Is a Sears model 53. (win. M70) 30-06

Model 94 chambered for .32 Winchester Special.

Winchester 94 saddle ring carbine 30-30. I hated that thing because it just felt crappy (loose) compared to my dads Marlin 336. I never felt confident with it.

looking back on it now, I realize that the bigger issue was lack of practice with it. I'd shot brick after brick out of my Savage .22, but maybe half a box with that little 30-30.

it was probably close to perfect for the 1985 twelve year old.... hunting fairly dense woods.

I was happy to sell it once I had the authority to do so, and I bought a 30-06 ADL to replace it. Definately felt more confident with it..... largely because I was old enough to afford my own ammo to practice with it regularly.

My first deer rifle was a Remington 760 in 06 given to me by my dad when I was twelve. He made me shoot it until my shoulder was blackened and bruised. Needless to say, I developed quite a flinch and missed a few deer in anticipation of being thumped by the recoil. My younger brother on the other hand was given a .243 bolt action M700 BDL and had no problems hitting what he aimed at. Old man praised him and made fun of me for missing.

Fast forward a few years. I was now fully grown(250lbs) 6'4" and that ole 06 seemed like a toy. Every deer that stepped out within 400yds was mince meat. Old man and younger brother offered no praise, except for blurting out while trying to shoulder their rifles, " would you save one for me"?.

Guess all that bruising paid off!

SD

A Ted Williams 30/30 it was copy of a Winchester 94 . I gave $75 for it and would give 10 times that for it back . A lot of firsts with that rifle .

Remington 742 chambered in 308win.

I killed my first two bucks with that gun, but ended up trading it for a winchester model 70 carbine in 308 when it started getting picky about it's ammo.

Marlin in 35rem. Killed a truckload with it before swapping. Tatelaw and I redone the stock and I put a new scope on it. Kinda proud of how it turned out

I have the same rifle. its getting time for me to re-do my stock also. I love the 35 Rem.

Marlin 336 dirty-dirty.

Remington 788 243 tasco scope $ 132.00 new

Ruger M77 in 30.06 was the first rifle that was actually mine.

Same thing here. I started hunting with a Winchester 1400 12 ga. in a shotgun only area, but the 94 was my first deer rifle .

Remington M760 in .300 Savage. My son now has the rifle...

Hunting for 25 or 30 odd years, I still dont own my own centerfire deer rifle.

Used dad's spare(s) '06 when rifle hunting in PA.

I do have my own shotguns and Muzzleloaders for deer hunting.

Mossberg500 came first. Then a Hawkin.

(Really have to rectify that centerfire rifle thing. )

Brno ZKK in 243WCF... The most accurate NIB bolt action rifle I've ever had.

Winchester Model 70 FW in .270.

Winchester Model 100 in .308

First deer rifle.
First deer ever.

22 lr rem 572 that only worked as single shot. we had an orchard and I took a few does from porch with that rifle

then marlin 336

Full military Belgian FN 7x57 Mauser. I never scoped it and it was very accurate and reliable. Some slick gun shop operator offered me several times what I paid for it a few years later and I've always regretted selling that rifle.

I've had a parade of what seems like a hundred rifles since then but I have always missed that one.

My favorite is the one I just bought but then that's another story for another thread...

Bob

Model 336 in 30-30

Win 94 30-30.

Marlin 336 30-30

Win 670A 243Win, 4X Tasco.

One of the deer I took with it in my teens,

.303 British, wish I still had one..

My first deer rifle was a stainless Ruger M77 MKII. in .243 Still one of my favorite guns I have.

Rem 700 adl 30-06, it lies waiting for the day my daughter is big enough to shoot it.

Marlin 336 .30-30. It took a spike buck at 20 yards on a Christmas Eve long ago.

1927 94 carbine in .30-.30

Was handed down to my dad from my grandfater, my dads first certerfire and was handed down to me when I was 12. Peep sight rear, nice gold bead front, hunted it for 3 years and got a new 700 in .270 with a Leupold on it for my 15th Christmas. I was on top of the world. It's now handed down to my oldest son who is 13.

Remington 700 ADL in .270. Now owned by my son.

Browning Light 12 26" Plain IC barrel, Remington 1oz Foster-type slugs.

Dad gave me a pre 64 m94 in 30-30 when I was 12, in 1968, never got a deer with it. Still have it. Swithced to a Marlin 336 in 35 Rem, shot many deer with it. Sorry I let it go. Have used a 1950 Savage 99R in 250 for the last 20 years or so. Did shoot a couple deer with my m95 Whinny in 35 WCF, but can't see open sights anymore, Joe.

Remington 700 Classic in .270.

.308 Savage

Savage 340 in 30-30. The year was 1960.

Rem 600 in 308.

Got it from my Dad on my 14th birthday. I mounted a Weaver 3x scope on it and started handloading for it - 165 gr. Hornadies under 4320, IIRC.

With that 18.5 inch barrel, when I shot it in dim light the muzzle blast looked like the business end of a blowtorch.

Mine was also a savage 340 in .30-30. 4x scope. It was a 1st anniversary gift from my mother to my father. He was 21 and she was 19. Both were from poor working class families but mom found a way to buy dad a rifle so could have one of his own instead of always borrowing. Dads family did no hunt but some how he started hunting as a teen with friends.

When I was young, dad gave me the 340 as my first rifle. It's still in the safe and its still a great shooter. Dad and I both killed many deer with that 340. I even saw him shoot a grounding with it at 228 paces.

Got a Mossberg .22 for my 12th birthday. Was rabbit hunting with neighbor boys. Young doe ran up to about 25 yards and I put one under the chin in the center of that white spot. We gutted it with a KampKing scout knife - Messy ..... BIG TROUBLE WITH DAD!

It was not intended for my first deer rifle but it was ....twice.

Shot a deer with 38-40, 38-55, 303 Brit each borrowed. Then got a new 32SPL Model 64 Winchester Deluxe for my 16th birthday, 1955. Shot many with it and it was stolen from me in Potsdam NY about 1962.

Moss semi 22LR
Win 64 32SPL Deluxe.

Jim

Remington BDL .270 Win I bought for myself as a freshman in college.

GreggH

First rifle I used to take a deer was an old Korean war surplus 30 carbine. Took my first one 8 days after I turned 6 with my Dad next to me telling me to 'squeeze the trigger like a tit'. My first rifle that was 'MY' rifle was a Savage 99 in 243. I've taken several trailer loads of hill country wt with that rifle and a 600 Rem in 243.

The first rifle that I hunted deer with was some military 8mm mauser, don't remember much about it, other than my dad bought it for $15.00. Never did shoot it at a deer, just packed it around the mountains. First rifle that I shot a deer with was my grandfather's Model 54 Winchester in 270. I still have the rifle but haven't shot it in 20+ years. It will go to my oldest grandson in about 5 or 6 years when he turns 12.

Bart

Ruger M77 in 7mm Rem Mag. For me deer are targets of opportunity to be taken - or not - while elk hunting. The 7mm RM has proven to be a very effective tool for taking elk and it hammers deer.

Marlin 30/30. Bought at Kmart in the 70s. Served me well. Mostly retired now but will always have a place in my safe.

Rem 600 .308 that my dad bought me for a high school graduation present in 1965. Sadly, it was sold while in college to help with rent.

Marlin 336 in 30-30 win. I was 17 and we were poor, my dad saved and sacrificed a lot to get it for me. I set it up with the full noob cliche, see thru mounts and a Tasco. it claimed my first deer, my first buck, and several other folks first deer since then. It now sits at my dad's farm iron sights ready to go for when the hogs finally work there way over there. Here's a pic of the last deer I shot with it still with the noob set up on it, though I wasn't a noob anymore.

Remington 788 lefthanded 308 win with a Bushnell 4X banner scope. Long gone now but it sure was accurate and fun. Was purchased in mid 70's and sold in early eighties.

Win Mod 94 in 32WS. 1948 vintage. Used for about 10 seasons in Oregon, then picked up a Win Mod 70 in .270 with Leupy 2~7x when I moved to Montana.

Ithaca Model 300 20ga

Open sighted Model 94 30-30

Marlin 336 in 30-30, open sights and 170gr silvertips

1873 trap door. Mom got it for 65 bucks at antique show. Took it to local dealer and he said good to go and in very fine condition. I remember the Rem 405 gr bullets. Took it to the range and set up empty milk carton at 50 yds, killed it ! I went out behind the house in deer season, 14 yrs old. I sat in the woods for couple hours. Older guys came by and said I would have to back out of the woods to turn around with the long gun. At noon I was dragging 7 pt. by the jokesters. Didn't gut it real good, belt for drag rope, 600 yards. Mom old farm girl took it from there when I got to the house. Still have the rifle, but that started my love for hunting. Now I have a son and grandson, they are sporting mod seven 260 and 300 wsm.

Ah, long ago. I knew nothing about deer rifles, didn't even know anyone who hunted deer, but was determined to be a deer hunter. The day after my 18th birthday I was at a local NY gunshop to buy a "deer rifle". I can't blame the guy, I am sure he looked at the petite redheaded girl in front of him and wanted to get me into something that didn't kick. I bought a military surplus 6.5 Carcano for $15. It actually shot really well. I carried that rifle for a couple years as I felt my way into deer hunting alone and un-mentored. A couple years later, after hunting for the first time with actual experienced deer hunters, I bought a used Parker Hale in 30-06. I went through a few other 30-06s and a .270 for deer. Now, my go-to rifle for smaller stuff than elk, and even elk without grizzlies, is an old tang safety Ruger M77 in 7mm Rem. Mag.. Yeah, it is a bit overbore for smaller deer and pronghorn, but it has a long successful history...

I was 14 in 69 and had stopped at a hdwe store on the way home from school to see what guns were in stock. On the rack was a well used Rem Mdl 572 22 lr for $30 and I was admiring it, the store owner told me he needed a young guy to do what ever and I could have the gun for 40 hrs of whatever,so I got my first real job and the gun as a paycheck. Didn't take me long to figure the 572 was a pos and I traded it and $11 bucks for a Century Arms sporterized M93 Mauser in 7 x 57. Had the metal work done at the Shell Shop in Sioux City Ia and did the wood myself from a EC Bishop 90% inletted blank, put on a 2.5 x 8 Bushnell for the scope. Didn't take long and I got RCBS dies and a RCBS jr. press. Worked with IMR-4350 and 139 gr Hornady SP and switched to the 140 NPT for my 1st whitetail buck in 1972. Took about 3+ years to get a tag back then. Still have it, need to put it too work again. Magnum man

Model 94 Winchester Carbine 30-30. Whelan and O'Connor said aperture sights were best so I mounted a Lyman 66 rear and a Redfeld Sourdough front. It loved those Winchester 170 grain Silvertips and it did the job until I believed the hype and bought a .243.

Winchester 94 in .32 Win Special. Was my Dad's gun. Took my first deer, a small spike, with it the first day of my first PA buck season in 1961. My younger son took a deer with it also so 3 generations of my family have "made meat" with that gun. A fourth generation is coming along to carry the tradition forward.

It currently resides in the back of my gun safe, but occasionally when the leaves turn color, the mornings are frosty and the house is quiet I find myself pulling it out and sitting with it for a time. One throw of the lever and I'm in a gas-lighted camp in the hills of Centre County. The smells of wet wool, wood smoke and Hoppes #9 fill the air and a nervous, excited 13 year-old anxiously awaits the first deer drive of the day and his hunting life.

Excuse me for a minute. I need to open the safe.

Weatherby vanguard deluxe in 7MM Remington Magnum caliber - bolt action rifle

Winchester M70 XTR, Redfield Rings and mounts, Bushnel 3-9x40 Scopechief.

My Dad bought me a Reminton 721 in 270 cal when I was 14.Killed my first deer(a big doe) and many more since then.I still hunt with it every year.

Skipped school when I was a junior to go deer hunting. Shot my first deer with a modified 303 Enfield. When I checked it in a photographer from the local paper took my picture, largest deer so far in Cherokee county, Ok. that year. My excuse of being sick didn't work for my absence from school. The principal invited me in for a visit, he had the paper opened to the sports page with my picture and my 8 pt buck. He explained that my excuse didn't hold water but he did congratulate me on a fine deer. I still remember it as though It happened yesterday even though it was 50 years ago.

Savage/Stevens 110 in .270 , 2 years ago it became my sons first deer rifle

Remington 788 in 7mm-08

I got a great story of my 1st deer rifle! No one in my immediate family (dad/brother) hunted or liked guns so I was the "black sheep". I was turning 16 and what does every kid turning 16 want? A ride of course.....Well my mom/pops came into the house and my mom said "we got your BDAY gift" so I was like OK, where/what... My mom told my dad to give me the keys!!! Hot dern, I got a ride!!!!!!! Yeahhhhhhhh, then my mom said it's in the trunk!!! hahahaha had me fooled!!! I opened the trunk and low and behold sat a new/used Remington 700 in 270! It had/has a cheapo Tasco 3x9x40 w/ even cheaper see through mounts! It was a beautifully cared fer gun! I still have it like it came and before moving up to different rifles, shot a bunch of deer with it!

I have raised all 3 of my kids to hunt and fish, and my youngest got his 1st deer rifle at 7 (NEF 223). Killed his 1st deer at that age too. Since I have bought him his 1st quality rifle (BAR in 270) but he wants my Steyr in 7-08 since I bought my Steyr in 300. Can't fault him fer having good taste like his daddy!!!

My first deer rifle is the 30-30 Marlin that I broke the stock on, when I fell last fall.

My first deer with a rifle, I was shooting dad's 270 win.

My first deer was killed with a westernfield 12 ga with buckshot

Tang safety Ruger M77 30-06. Still have it...

mine was a 1898 effort mauser in 8mm loved that old gun and kill my first deer a 5 point whitetail . At 12 years of age i could not have been happyer

This is a great topic and have really strolled down memory lane. Mine was a Christmas gift in 1971 when I was 13 going on 14. Under the tree was a new Rem 760 pump .270. My dad had the same rifle but was a few yrs older and a .30-06. He took off his 2 3/4 powered Weatherby scope and put it on my new gun. He then bought a new Redfield 2x7 scope. I hunted with it my first 3 yrs with no luck. dad got an idea ans said that ne never shot a deer with a .270 and how about a trade for a yr and see what happens. He got a buck the 1st day and I got one the second. After he passed a few yrs later I started hunting with the .270. I shot a lot of deer with it for 20 yrs but some idiot stole all my guns. I'm still bitter. The only thing I didn't like about the gun was the hard trigger pull. I bought a Sako .270 bolt and have hunted with it all over the U.S. and Canada. Only other deer I have shot with a gun was a 20 gauge Savage 220 hunting in Iowa.

Family tradition was you started with a shotgun so at age 12 I killed my first buck with an H&R 20 gauge. My older brother had put me in the middle of a huge old pine tree figuring I would not wander off and get lost while he hunted else were. He was surprised when he came back, a 6 pt had walked under my tree and stopped so my first kill was at 5 yards.

At age 15 I got a new Winchester model 94 in 30-30 it cost $65 back then times were tuff, I earned money cutting grass and paid half the rest was my Christmas gift from mom. Used that 30-30 for deer for a decade before moving up to a 06.

Savage 308

Oddly, a 270 Wby Mag in a beautiful LH Mark V. First centerfire rifle I ever owned. Great gun.

50+ years ago, my first deer rifle was a surplus Argentine mauser. That rifle was long and heavy, but it would shoot.

1977, first Christmas Bonus - $375

Remington 700 BDL
308 Winchester
Leupold 3-9x "Gold Ring"
Suede Leather Case
2 boxes Ammo

Savage 99R in 300 Sav.

Marlin Model 30AS. 30-30. Iron sights. Killed my first deer with it in 1986

Sako 06. I didn't deer hunt until I was in my 20s. Killed my first deer and biggest with it.

My Grandpas Marlin 336 in 35 Rem. Killed a spike in Pennsylvania in 1968.
I am still proud of that one.

modle 93 spanish 7x57 sporterized

Browning A-bolt 270win.


Josh

Savage 110 243 Winchester 1966

I love this topic. Mine was a Savage model 325-C in 30-30.

I know that's all you asked for but I like talking about it so here is a bit more info. My dad traded a Stevens 311 shotgun for it to his old boss. My dad never hunted birds so I don't even know why he had it. I was 12 years old but didn't hunt with it until I was 13. I killed my first 6 mule deer, two does and four bucks, with this rifle with open sights and whatever 170 grain bullets I happened to buy.

The rifle is incredibly accurate even with open sights. I used to go to the local shooting range once a year right before the hunting season because that's how my dad did things. I remember with open sights shooting 10-20 rounds up each time at one target. I always sighted 2 inches high at 100 yards and all rounds were usually in about 1.5-2 inches. I remember wondering what the problem was with all the guys at the range with brand new fancy rifles and big scopes with rounds all over the targets...

I shot Winchester, Federal and Remington 170 grain loads through it but liked the Remington's the best for the cheesy reason that I liked the looks of the round nose bullet better than the flat points.... Still have the rifle and haven't shot it in forever. Keep saying I'm going to take it hunting again someday, it's been over 20 years, still has the open sights.

When I was 14 my crazy uncle confvinced me to let him help me refinish it so it ended up with a crude drawing of an elk on one side and a grizzly on the other side as well as a gold trigger and bolt..... I think someday I'm going to fix that and take it back to the way it was.

I'm done rambling, again, fun subject.

Marlin 336 .30-30 made in 1953. It belonged to my Grandpa and I take at least one deer every year with it.

HVA light wt. full stocked 243, ruin't me for life, still have it after 48 years-Muddy

Used the old Mod.98 that Grandpa bought for Dad when he was 14. Cut down stock, military irons, 8x57. Barrel gave up on 'er when I was 19 and I bought a Century Arms M98 in 30-06. Dad still has the old 98, I sent it out when I was 20 and had it rebarreled in 8mm Gibbs for his birthday.

a cut down jap 99 rechambered to 30/06 shot a small spike mule deer and alots of jackrabbits

Browning BAR in .270 Win

1917 sporterized enfield. Cartridge caliber 30 model 1906

Stuffed full of 180 gr. core-lokt rnsp ammo.

Ruger round top model 77 chambered in 257 Roberts. Still hunt with it 40 years later.

Savage 99 Model F in 300 Savage, made in 1955. Killed a boat load of Michigan Whitetails with that rifle. Still using it today. Shot a beautiful 9 point (should have been a 10 point) last November in Northern Michigan. Best buck that had been shot in the last ten to twelve years. Light and fast with great knock down poower.

Winchester 94 32spcl. many cali black tails and a few mulies. traded it for a ruger single six. traded the single six for a 56 chevy. wish I hade all three back. good memories. some really good memories from the back seat of the chevy!

Pre Mil Savage model 99c in .308 !

Still use it today.

Got a bull moose with the old gal last season.

Used a .243 for my buck & doe, last year.

Model 94 30-30. Still my favorite under 100 yards. Bad medicine for deer, standing or moving. I have filled many a freezer with it.

Savage model 1899 take-down in 250-3000. Still have it.

Some Spanish military 308. Kicked like a mule and I missed 3 deer with the crappy loose iron sights. I wedged pieces of aluminum can on both sides of the rear sight to keep it still. I think it cost $60 and I got a Remington 700 when I saved up a couple years later.

Mine was a sporterized No1MK3 Enfield my father gave me in 1968 to use , still have it .
Even took it out a few years back and shot another deer with it.
Cat

742 in .308. Still my go to because of great sentimental value.

Custom Rem 700 in .280. Still in use today

'84? Browning BLR in .358, with an old Redfield 1 3/4-5x wide field. I bought it at 14, with yard mowing, hay bailing, and farm work $. Traded it for a bolt action 30-06, cuz I didn't know how to load and couldn't find ammo. Doh!

I first hunted deer with a Remington 700 chambered in .30-06. I still hunt with it, although it has been blue printed and chambered in .338-06.

Winchester 94 30-30.

Interarms Mark X in 30-06. Started with a fixed 4X Weaver but very quickly started playing musical scopes. This one loved 165 hornady btsp's.

I was 10 years old in 1970 and killed my first with a 30 carbine .

model 24 savage 22mag/410, lots of backstraps hit the frying pan via the .410 slug. might be why I like the 41 mag.

Savage 110 in 243 Winchester. Many Deer fell to this rifle and 100 grain bullets.

Marlin 336 in 30-30 and Winchester silvertips. Bought at the local grocery store used, I was 13 years old.

Sporterized Lee Enfield #4 .303 British. Bought at our small town hardware store when I was 15.

Per 64 win 94 30-30 that was when hunting was fun...

Sure is great reading about how many of us got our first deer rifle by working our asses off to buy it. It wasn't the need or want of it as much as our parents knew it was the way we needed to learn responsibility and to work for the things we wanted to have in life. My folks never said no when I saw a gun I wanted but " get to work if you want it cause that's the only way you will get it." 1st gun, motorcycle and car all bought with money I earned gave me a work ethic for life, betting the same for most of us. It's what a lot of kids today don't have because their parents buy them everything without letting them earn it. Magnum Man

Winchester Model 94 30-30

ruger no 1 in 25/06 I was 16 bought it with money from working in tobacco all summer still got it

A '67 (I think) model 700 in .243. $101.89. That was a lot of yards I had to cut at $2-3 a pop. Still have it and it'll still put 3 shots in less than an inch with about 2500 rounds through the barrel.

Marlin 336 Texan in 35 Remington. It was probably 1960, & I remember paying $75 or so. Wish I still had it.
Jim

Pre 64 M70 chambered for the 30-06.

Savage 340 bolt action carbine in 30-30 early 60's

Browning BAR in .270 Win with a Nikon 3x9 scope

A Ted Williams Lever Action 30 / 30 . A copy of the Model 94 . Had a 8 point buck carved in the stock . Cost Grandpa $ 75 . Several Deer and Coyotes fell to that gun . I sold it several years later for $ 75 . Just had to have a Remington 7400 30/06 Automatic I would give a $ 1000 to buy it back if I could only find it .

Rem 700 BDL 25-06

Premil 99 savage in a 243 if I remember right it was the R not the EG. I would love to find another one just for old time sake.

Marlin Mod 336C 30-30 Win.............Hb

Worked all Summer washing dishes at a local caf�. I knew exactly how much I needed for a Marlin 336 .30-30, 2 boxes of ammo, a gun case and cleaning kit at a Gibson's Discount Center. That Fall I broke my leg playing football. Shot my first deer (a raghorn buck) while I was still on crutches. Dad was with me. On the way home with the deer in back of a Pontiac Bonneville, Dad got out his Lucky Strikes for a smoke. I said, " Dad if you will stop smoking I will give you my deer rifle." He said, "If it means that much to you I quit." He never smoked again.

Win. Model 94 30-30 made 2 years before the year of my birth. Iron sights (obviously). Still have it. The perfect little gun for carrying in thick woods or for shots under 75 yards or so with old tired eyes.

CVA Frontier Rifle, similar to this one.!

My folks weren't hunters and wouldn't let me own a gun, however, I talked them into letting me buy the CVA "kit" rifle and put it together.

Gave just under $100 bucks for the kit at Service Merchandise...

My grandfather's Winchester Model 70 Standard (now referred to as Pre-64, of course just a Model 70 when he bought it in 1959), chambered in 30-06. I still have it, and it shoots great.

Yup. And I'm from VA, does that make me a hillbilly?

Tikka 270, it was my dad's, took my first Fallow and Red with that gun. Can still see the fallow doe prancing out of the creek line and pausing just long enough to enable a young boy to steady the cross hair on her shoulder and grass his first deer.

Regards,

Mog

Do you still have the rifle and dad around? or at least your father didn't pass away from lung cancer.

I miss hunting with my father and I always stop at his headstone the day before deer season and thank him for buying the woods behind the family farm and not turning it into cattle pasture. He said "we would always have a place to hunt".

Semi-custom mauser in 6.5x55.

Me to! 336 in 30/30, I bet there are a whole lot of deer hunters that cut there teeth on the same gun!

1967 Remington 740 30-06 1st rifle, 1st deer.

1903 Springfield sporter. How's that for a classic??

PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for posting that up
Funny thing about hunting rifles, after almost 40 years of deer hunting ive come full circle rifle wise. My go to deer rifle is a Marlin 336 in 35 Rem.

I'm thinking Win model 70 in .257 Roberts.

Mine was a Remington 700 ADL in .308. Took 5 deer in a row with it then ended up trading it for a LH BDL .30-06.

First gun i ever carried in the deer woods was a 50cal sidehammer, first gun i ever shot a deer with was a Savage 110 30-06

My first was given to me by my uncle. Pre-64 Mod 70 Featherweight in 243 Win.
I believe it was born in 1955. First year it came out.

Win 94 30-30

I started hunting deer in my mid 30s and all I had in the closet were shotguns. So I picked up a SKS for $125 thinking it ideal for timber hunting with a semi auto option in a .308 caliber. I took a guest, a dedicated deer hunter, on a hunt and he rolled his eyes and loaned me a Ruger #1 in a .270 with which I took my first whitetail. He told me to get a real rifle, and so I wound up settling on a Winchester Ranger synthetic in 30-06 with a blind mag, scoped it with a Leupold vari-x-II. That turned out to be a very solid deer rifle. Trigger was a tad heavy by today's standard but quite crisp.

Savage 340 bolt action carbine in 30-30, open sights. Each of my two sons killed his first big game animal with the same rifle.

Most dedicated hunters kinda look down at the sks for a hunting tool.

First Deer Gun was a New England Firearms .410 when I was 11, it doubled as my squirrel gun as well. First deer rifle was a marlin 30-30 2 years later.

Remington 742 30-06 with a see thru scope mount, Tasco 3x9x40 . This was the set up running dogs in the magnolia state.

My first was a Winchester 30-30. Second was an Interarms 243 Win.

HVA .243 lightweight, factory full stocked w/Lyman 57 receiver sight and a 1/16 gold bead on the factory ramp. Burned the barrel out shooting ground squirrels on the ranch w/50 cent a# surp 4831 and $2/100 Speer 80 gr sp's. Deer load was a FULL case of the 4831 and 100 gr. Nosler old style Pt's, all some 45 years ago, still have it.-Muddy

Marlin 336 in .30-30. Love it and still hunt with it most of the time.

First was a pre-64 Winchester Model 94. 30-30 Winchester. A five year old rifle I bought from a guy I worked with in 1965. Sure wish I still had that one.

I miss those days in the beginning. The prep of your equipment and finding some to borrow.....didnt have it all in the beginning.

Hoping to see a buck, any buck. I could care less about how many points in those days.

Cold and sunny with that deer season smell. The first sight of a deer got your heart pounding. Lunches in the truck, huntin food rules.

Choosing the lucky bullet, rubbing it shiney. Being proud of your rifle, regardless of what brand it was.

When you got one it meant hauling all over the country to show it off. It meant you were a hunter and could now participate in hunting stories.

Id give anything to be there again for a day or two.

Regards,

OB that brought back some great memories and almost a tear to my eye, recalling those days.

My first was my Marlin 336 .30.30. I still like to use it, but can't focus on the stock sites anymore in low light and haven't yet modified that situation.

Get a good peep. I like the vintage Redfield, Lymans, and some of the higher end Williams. Btw Skinner make a dandy too, well worth the money. What ever it takes to bring your old rfle back to life and be more viable.

Regards,

Great thread. Read it through. Thanks for sharing your stories!

My first few deer and antelope, I used a tang safety Ruger 77 in 243 Win with a Leupold 2.5-8. Beautiful dark, shiny bluing. It was a Christmas gift or some such from my dad to my mom around the time I was born. All I knew about the gun back then was that the thing shot right where I put the crosshairs, and that my step-dad considered it borderline powerwise for big game. I never had any problems, and I never missed with that rifle: bang, flop! We only shot 100gr factory ammo. I recall a preference for the Winchester PP. Mom still has that gun. Keep trying to talk her into parting with it, but she has a weird attachment to it, though it hasn't been shot or cleaned in decades. The last hunt I took it on, I noticed the firing pin spring would light strike the 1st round. Never could convince my stepdad not to keep guns stored loaded. It is easy enough to release the spring tension too.

At 15 I moved on to my dad's goto big game gun the last few years he hunted: another M77 with a 2.5-8 in 257 Roberts, shooting his handloaded 100grn Partitions at about 2850. He killed elk with that gun and load. I killed a few deer, but didn't get a shot at any elk, though I drew a few permits. My dad sold or traded it at some point to get another gun. He was always wheeling and dealing in those days.

My first 'Mine' rifle was another tang safety M77 in 270 Win. with a Leupold 3-9, which I got at 16. It shot unbelievably poorly with all ammo I tried. I was happy to get under 5" groups at 100. I took it hunting a few times, but never did get any shots at big game with it. Never had any confidence in it either, since it shot so poorly compared to what I'd previously used. It went toward car repairs when I was 20. I don't miss it.

A military surplus 6.5 Swede out of a cardboard barrel purchased at Warshall's in Seattle.
IIRC when pop payed for it, it was less than $20 out the door........ That was a long time ago and it killed quite a few Blacktail in the years after that.

My first deer rifle was an SKS. I was 12 years old and our local hardware store got a shipment of brand new old war stock rifles in for $99. I worked my entire summer for my parents to buy this gun from me. I never even saw a deer to shoot at but I hiked up several miles of mountainside season after season looking for one. I wish I still had that rifle. I don't think its a very good rifle but I would love to have it just for the memories. I sold it to a family friend about 17 years ago when I joined the military.

Remington 770 in .308 that came w/ a 3x9 Bushnell. Not the finest rifle but it did the trick.

Sears JC Higgins 270. About what I finished with 50 years later...

Wow, lots o memories with this thread. My first deer rifle was a Glenfield 30A 30-30 that my dad got used for me on my 15th birthday. I shot my first two mule deer with that rifle. One at 50 yards and one at 150 yards. Don't use it much anymore, but I still have it and will never sell it.

Winchester model 88 in .308.

First gun I hunted with was my father's Ithaca 16 gauge sxs with slugs.

The first rifle that was my own was a Savage 99 featherweight takedown 30-30. Made in 1923, given to my father about 1937, he gave it to me in 1973, still have it.

His first deer rifle before the Savage was a Colt Lightning in 38/40!

Savage Model 170 30-30 pump with Weaver 1 1/2 4 1/2 scope. Many years ago.

First one that I used to hunt and kill a deer was a Marlin 336 .30-30, borrowed from an uncle. First one that I owned was a pre-64 Winchester Model 70 in .30-06 that I bought when I graduated from high school in 1961--I still have it.

First firearm was an Rem 870, smooth bore slug barrel.
First rifle was Ruger 44 mag carbine.

Ruger Model 77 tang safety in a 270 Win.

Remington 700 BDL in 308 Winchester, 3-9 Leupold "Gold Ring", Suede case, 2 boxes ammo, scope mounted, zeroed for $475 in 1977.

From the era when the 700's were dependably accurate out of the box. That gun still hits the mark every time.

Winchester M-94 30-30 Winchester, a shoulder fired howitzer it was in circa 1972, I was nine.

Mississippi wound-a-matic 30.06, see thru sights and 3x9 Bushnell with BDC. also known as Remington 742

35 marlin

Ruger no. 1 22-250

Remington M700 ADL .243 Win ($101.89 in 1966 ) and a handload of 43 grs. I-4350, 95 Nosler Partition. Neck shot at about 100 yds 'cause that's all I could see clearly.

Remington 700 BDL, .243 Winchester, Weaver v-series 3-9. It was used then, some 40+ years ago.

First "gun" was a Mossberg 500 pump shotgun with a 30" barrel and full choke, using Federal slugs. First "rifle" was a Winchester 94 in .30/30 Winchester......and I still have both firearms!

M 94 carbine in 30-30. Still hunt with it almost every year.

Western Auto Revelation Model 220B, given to me by my (then) fiancee as a wedding present. Shot my first deer with that rifle on a hunt with my Dad and two of my brothers. The first deer any member of my family had ever killed. We had quite a celebration in the woods and, at a family dinner later, when the meat from that small doe fed the entire group. Mom fried venison, made mashed potatoes, homemade biscuits, gravy, green beans and peach cobbler.

Wife and I divorced, Mom and Dad have passed, the rifle was sold but I still hunt with my brothers and we revisit that time in our lives frequently. Lotta water!!!!

My first deer rifle was a Marlin 336 35 Remington complete with see through mounts. A couple of years later I killed my first deer with a Ruger #1V in 6mm Rem topped with a Burris compact 2-7x and my hand loaded 100 gr Hornady BTSP.

I killed my first deer with a Ruger 77 in 270.Dad had two 77s in 270,and now I still have both,but I honestly don't know which one I shot it with.It was the first year that shooting does became legal here.I was 12. .The first high power rifle I got for my self was an old semi-sporterized Eddystone 17.It was a good gun,and took it's share of deer,but wasn't much to look at.

My first deer rifle was a Ruger 44 magnum semi auto carbine.
Shot my first deer in 1965 in Quebec north of a small town called fermeneuve.
Was a yearling doe but I could not have been prouder. Shot her on a beech treed ridge, spooked probably by someone else as it came running straight at me and then stopped at about 30 yards when it saw me. Shot it with 250 grain soft point.
I still can remember the tiny details of the hunt as if it happened yesterday.

Savage Model 340 in 222 Remington w/a 3-9x40 Kassnar scope.